Apparatus for moistening thread bobbins

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an apparatus for moistening cylindrical or tapered cross-wound thread bobbins of all dimensions, by injection of an appropriate fluid, such as water with the addition of a wetting agent, by means of hollow needles which are implanted in the bobbins. The ends of the needles are closed and blunted in the form of a solid of revolution, for example in ogive form, while their bodies have lateral holes distributed over various generatrices.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Philippe L. A. Giesler Saint Germain en Laye;

Robert F. MJ Desurmont, Tourcoing; Raphael G. G. DeJonckheere, Bondues, all of, France Aug. 6, 1969 Aug. 17, 197 l Soclete DApplicatlon Des Procedes Giesler Acheres, France Sept. 25, 1968 France Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING THREAD BOBBINS 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl Int. Cl

Field 01' Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,761 3/1929 Hasbrouck 68/201 3,429,149 2/1969 Ellner 68/150 1,577,884 3/l926 Van Ness 68/201 FOREIGN PATENTS 382,021 10/1932 Great Britain 68/201 Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Assistant Examiner Leo Millstein Attorney-MCGleW and Toren ABSTRACT: The invention provides an apparatus for moistening cylindrical or tapered cross-wound thread bobbins of all dimensions, by injection of an appropriate fluid, such as water with the addition ofa wetting agent, by means of hollow needles which are implanted in the bobbins.

The ends of the needles are closed and blunted in the form of a solid of revolution, for example in ogive form, while their bodies have lateral holes distributed over various generatrices.

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING THREAD ROBBINS It is known that in the course of different spinning operations the thread loses a part of its humidity; now a certain humidity is necessary for the operations which follow and the spinner is obliged to moisten the thread which is present in the form of spinning bobbins (cops), hanks or cross-wound bobbins (tapered or cylindrical). Spraying of a solution of water and a wetting agent on the outer layers of the spinning bobbins is sufficient in general to ensure homogeneous moistening through to the core of the said bobbins, but the same is not the case when it is a matter of cylindrical or tapered cross-wound bobbins of weight greater than about 1 kg.

The moistening of these bobbins is effected by various methods.

One consists in spraying a solution of water with the addition of a wetting agent on to the internal faces of cross-wound bobbins, as for spinning bobbins, another consists in introducing the solution to the interior of bobbins and effecting its distribution by centrifugal action.

Both these methods present drawback:

The first moistens the bobbins only superficially the second necessitates the winding of the thread on perforated tubes, which is often very irksome. Moreover the injection of water centrally through the perforated tube does not permit of obtaining a good distribution of the moisture; the center is always moistened too much, which further presents the drawback of softening the perforated tubes if they are of cardboard.

Another method, which is patented but not exploited, consists in injecting the solution under pressure into the bobbins by means of hollow needles of the type of hypodermic needles; the needles are open at their bevelled ends. This particular feature presents grave drawbacks. On the one hand the cutting edge of the bevel cuts the threads, causing breakages, and on the other hand the liquid is localized over a narrow strip of thread without being distributed; this lack of distribution derives from the fact that the liquid is injected through an orifice which directs the jet vertically and parallel to the tubes. Even centrifugal action upon the bobbins after the injection is not efficacious; it would moreover render the process too expensive by reason of the considerable reduction of production. Another drawback for the regularity of the distribution of the solution is in its injection in the courseof displacement of the needles and without pressure.

It is moreover to be noted that the introduction of needles into cotton bobbins, which are generally very tight, permits of using only quite fine needles of the order of 12/10 mm. in diameter which are flexible; these needles are necessarily quite long, for example for the order of 150 mm., and their point must necessarily be bevelled to ensure their introduction into the bobbin and permit the emergence of of the liquid through the end. Now this bevelling causes the needles to deviate in one direction or the other to such point that certain extremities emerge from the bobbin.

The present invention provides an improved apparatus for carrying out the method which consists in moistening the cylindrical or tapered cross-wound thread bobbins of all dimensions, by injection of an appropriate fluid, such as water with the addition of a wetting agent, by means of hollow needles which are implanted in the bobbins.

Thus such an apparatus, as is already known, comprises a carrier for thread bobbins to be moistened, a carrier for parallel hollow needles which are movable coaxially with the bobbin carrier, means for causing the needle carrier to advance and withdraw in order to implant them in a bobbin disposed on its carrier and to extract them therefrom respectively, and means for feeding the needles with moistening fluid.

However while in the known apparatus the needles have their ends open and bevelled, according to the invention the ends of the needles are closed and blunted in the form of a solid of revolution, for example in ogive form, while their bodies have lateral holes distributed over various generatrices.

In one particular form of embodiment adapted to bobbins of tapered form the lower orifices of the needles are directed towards the periphery of the bobbin while the upper orifices are directed towards the center and the intermediate orifices are directed in several directions.

According to another characteristic of the invention the means for supplying the needles with liquid are placed under the control of a valve, preferably on electric valve actuated to be open during the period when the needle carrier is at the end of its stroke in which the needles are driven fully into the bobbin.

Further characteristics of the invention will appear from the following description and from examination of the accompanying drawings which show, by way of nonlimitative example, a form of embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for the moistening of textile threads on cross-wound bobbins. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of the whole of the apparatus,

FIG. 2 is a partial horizontal section along the line lI-Il in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the structure of one of the needles, on a larger scale,

FIG. 4 shows in section, on a still larger scale, the end of one needle.

The apparatus as represented in the drawings is intended for the moistening of textile threads on cross-wound bobbins, tapered bobbins in this example (bobbin 1). This apparatus comprises a frame designated as a whole by 2 (FIG. 1) which carries a plate 3 on which each bobbin 1 to be moistened can be made fast by means of a cap 4 fast with the movable element of a jack 5 carried by an arm 6 of swanneck form, fixed on the plate 3.

Below the plate 3 there is disposed a carrier 8 carried by the movable element of a vertical jack 9 disposed vertically and coaxially with the plate 3 carrying the bobbin. On the carrier 8 there are fixed several (three in the example) needles 12 (see also FIG. 2) which are regularly distributed angularly about the axis of the said carrier and disposed parallel with the axis thereof. The needles 12 are tubular (see also FIG. 3 and 4) and supplied with moistening liquid from the carrier 8, which for this purpose is hollow, so as to form a collector and is connected by a conduit 14 to the delivery orifice of a pump 15 the inlet orifice of which is connected by a conduit 16 to the bottom of a reservoir 17 containing the moistening liquid. The pump 15 is driven by any appropriate motor, for example an electric motor 18.

An electric valve 21 placed under the control of a timing mechanism 22 is disposed on the delivery conduit 14.

From the delivery conduit 14 there is also branched a conduit 24 for return to the reservoir 17, through the intermediary of a regulable cock 25 which permits of producing a regulable loss of pressure head and consequently of obtaining in the delivery conduit 14, the desired pressure of the moistening liquid which can be read on a manometer 26.

Each needle 12 is closed at its blunted end in the form ofa body of revolution, preferably of ogival form 112A (FIGS. 3 and 4), so that it can easily penetrate into the bobbin without tendency to curve inwards by flexing on one side or the other. Radial holes 13 are formed at different positions along the body of the needle and these holes are placed on different generatrices in such a way that the jets of liquid issuing therefrom are dispersed in star form about the needle in the bobbin I. In the left-hand part of FIG. 3 there are indicated by way of example the directions of the holes at different levels indicated respectively by the section lines A-A, B-B, I-I-H, on the right-hand part of the FIG.

In particular case (represented in FIG. 1) of a tapered bobbin, the holes which are closest to the foot of the needle are directed towards the exterior of the bobbin while the holes situated on the other hand in the vicinity of the point of the needle are directed towards the axis of the bobbin, the other holes being directed in several directions in order to distribute the liquid throughout the mass of the bobbin as soon as it arrives therein.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Commencement is made by starting up the motor 18 for driving the pump and the pressure is regulated in the delivery conduit 14 by means of the bypass cock 25.

The bobbin 1 to be moistened is placed upon the plate 3 and the following operations are carried out preferably in an automatic cycle which successively ensures: The actuation of the jack 5 to produce the descent of the cap 4 which blocks the bobbin 1 on the plate 3, the rise of the carrier 8 carried by the jack 9 and at the same time the introduction of the needles into the bobbin, the opening of the electric valve 21 so as to ensure the injection of liquid into thebobbin (the duration of this injection operation is regulated by the timing mechanism 22 according to the quantity of liquid to be injected), the closure of the electric valve, the actuation of the jack 9 to cause thelowering of the needle carrier 8, the raising of the cap 4 by the jack 5 to disengage the bobbin which can be withdrawn for replacement by another. The operation is very rapid and necessitates no subsequent operation such as a centrifuging operation for example, which is always long and presents drawbacks as indicated above. I

In an example of embodiment the rise and descent of the needle carrier 8 lasts about 4 seconds and the duration of the spraying of the liquid is of the order of 2 to 8 seconds according to the quantity of liquid to be incorporated in the bobbin. This quantity can also be varied by action upon the value of the delivery pressure of the pump.

The automatic cycle for the control of the jacks and the electric valve is carried out in any appropriate conventional manner, by means of electric microcontacts and possibly mane-contacts.

The invention is of course limited to the form of embodiment as described and represented which has been given by way of example: numerous modifications can be effected therein according to the envisaged applications, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus for example several bobbin carriers and needles carriers can be associated with one and the same reservoir equipped with means for supply of all the collectors of moistening liquid.

Instead of using liquid for moistening it is possible to use a gas or water vapor especially for synthetic fibers in order to fix the torsion or twist more effectively.

lclaim:

1. An apparatus for the moistening of textile threads on cylindrical or tapered cross-wound bobbins, comprising a fixed carrier for a bobbin, a hollow carrier having a collector spaced therein, a plurality of spaced hollow needles arranged in parallel relationship in and extending outwardly from said hollow carrier, each of said needles having an axially extending passageway thereinin communication with the collector space in said hollow carrier and having its leading end closed and blunted in the form of a solid of revolution, each of said needles having a plurality of angularly and axially spaced apertures opening laterally from the passageway therein, means for displacing said hollow carrier and needles axially relative to the bobbin for inserting said needles into the bobbin through one end thereof, a moistening agent circuit means including a tank for supplying a moistening agent from said tank into the collector space in said hollow carrier for distribution into said needles, said circuit means comprising a pump, a pressure drop bypass valve, and a time control valve.

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the apertures, adjacent the leading end of said needles are directed toward the axis of the bobbin, the apertures located at the opposite end of said needles are directed toward the periphery of the bobbin, and the apertures located therebetween are directed in a multiple number of directions.

3. An apparatus for introducing a moistening agent into textile threads wound on cylindrical or tapered cross-wound bobbins, comprisin a fixed carrier for a bobbin, a hollow carrier containing a co lector space, a plurality of elongated hollow needles arranged in spaced parallel relationship on and extending outwardly from said hollow carrier, each of said needles having an axially extending passageway therein in communication with the collector space in said hollow carrier, each of said needles having its end spaced outwardly from said hollow carrier closed and shaped in the form of a solid of revolution of ogival configuration, each of said needles having a plurality of angularly and axially spaced apertures opening laterally form the passageway therein, a jack assembly having a movable member secured to said hollow carrier for displacing and said hollow carrier and needles axially relative to the bobbin for inserting said needles into the bobbin through one end thereof, a tank spaced from said hollow carrier forming a reservoir for the moistening agent, a conduit system for conveying the moistening agent from said tank to said collector space in said hollow carrier for distribution to said needles, a pump positioned in said conduit system or withdrawing the moistening agent from said tank and supplying it to the collector space in said hollow carrier, a valve located in said conduit system downstream from said pump, a timing mechanism connected to said valve for controlling flow of the moistening agent through said conduit system, a branch pipe connected at one end to said conduit system downstream from said pump and at its other end to said tank, a regulable cock positioned in said branch pipe for producing a regulable loss of pressure head for regulating the pressure of the moistening agent, and a manometer located in said conduit system for checking the pressure of the moistening agent therein. 

1. An apparatus for the moistening of textile threads on cylindrical or tapered cross-wound bobbins, comprising a fixed cArrier for a bobbin, a hollow carrier having a collector spaced therein, a plurality of spaced hollow needles arranged in parallel relationship in and extending outwardly from said hollow carrier, each of said needles having an axially extending passageway therein in communication with the collector space in said hollow carrier and having its leading end closed and blunted in the form of a solid of revolution, each of said needles having a plurality of angularly and axially spaced apertures opening laterally from the passageway therein, means for displacing said hollow carrier and needles axially relative to the bobbin for inserting said needles into the bobbin through one end thereof, a moistening agent circuit means including a tank for supplying a moistening agent from said tank into the collector space in said hollow carrier for distribution into said needles, said circuit means comprising a pump, a pressure drop bypass valve, and a time control valve.
 2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the apertures, adjacent the leading end of said needles are directed toward the axis of the bobbin, the apertures located at the opposite end of said needles are directed toward the periphery of the bobbin, and the apertures located therebetween are directed in a multiple number of directions.
 3. An apparatus for introducing a moistening agent into textile threads wound on cylindrical or tapered cross-wound bobbins, comprising a fixed carrier for a bobbin, a hollow carrier containing a collector space, a plurality of elongated hollow needles arranged in spaced parallel relationship on and extending outwardly from said hollow carrier, each of said needles having an axially extending passageway therein in communication with the collector space in said hollow carrier, each of said needles having its end spaced outwardly from said hollow carrier closed and shaped in the form of a solid of revolution of ogival configuration, each of said needles having a plurality of angularly and axially spaced apertures opening laterally form the passageway therein, a jack assembly having a movable member secured to said hollow carrier for displacing and said hollow carrier and needles axially relative to the bobbin for inserting said needles into the bobbin through one end thereof, a tank spaced from said hollow carrier forming a reservoir for the moistening agent, a conduit system for conveying the moistening agent from said tank to said collector space in said hollow carrier for distribution to said needles, a pump positioned in said conduit system or withdrawing the moistening agent from said tank and supplying it to the collector space in said hollow carrier, a valve located in said conduit system downstream from said pump, a timing mechanism connected to said valve for controlling flow of the moistening agent through said conduit system, a branch pipe connected at one end to said conduit system downstream from said pump and at its other end to said tank, a regulable cock positioned in said branch pipe for producing a regulable loss of pressure head for regulating the pressure of the moistening agent, and a manometer located in said conduit system for checking the pressure of the moistening agent therein. 